Welcome to Medical News Today

Healthline Media, Inc. would like to process and share personal data (e.g., mobile ad id) and data about your use of our site (e.g., content interests) with our third party partners (see a current list) using cookies and similar automatic collection tools in order to a) personalize content and/or offers on our site or other sites, b) communicate with you upon request, and/or c) for additional reasons upon notice and, when applicable, with your consent.

Healthline Media, Inc. is based in and operates this site from the United States. Any data you provide will be primarily stored and processed in the United States, pursuant to the laws of the United States, which may provide lesser privacy protections than European Economic Area countries.

By clicking “accept” below, you acknowledge and grant your consent for these activities unless and until you withdraw your consent using our rights request form. Learn more in our Privacy Policy.

Please accept our privacy terms

We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience, personalize content and offers, show targeted ads, analyze traffic, and better understand you. We may share your information with third-party partners for marketing purposes. To learn more and make choices about data use, visit our Advertising Policy and Privacy Policy. By clicking “Accept and Continue” below, (1) you consent to these activities unless and until you withdraw your consent using our rights request form, and (2) you consent to allow your data to be transferred, processed, and stored in the United States.

Myositis ossificans: Symptoms and treatment

Myositis ossificans is a condition where bone tissue forms inside muscle or other soft tissue after an injury. It tends to develop in young adults and athletes who are more likely to experience traumatic injuries.

Most of the time, myositis ossificans occurs in the large muscles of the arms or the legs.

Causes

Myositis ossificans is often caused by a single traumatic injury.

Myositis ossificans usually occurs where a person has experienced a single traumatic injury, such as sustaining a hit while playing football or soccer that causes a deep muscle bruise.

It can also happen when there is a repetitive injury to the same area, such as in the thighs of horseback riders. Very rarely, myositis ossificans can occur after a severe muscle strain.

Regardless of the cause, myositis ossificans happens when the body makes an error in the healing process. Muscle cells, also known as fibroblasts, are accidentally replaced by immature bone cells at the site of the injury.

Eventually, this can cause a hard lump or bump to develop within the muscle. This is a gradual process and begins within a few weeks after the initial injury.

It can be hard to predict who will get myositis ossificans, but the condition is more prevalent in active young adults and athletes.

Myositis ossificans occurs in people who participate in sport at all levels, from those who are playing just for fun through to highly competitive or professional athletes.

Also, people who are paralyzed from the waist down are more likely to develop myositis ossificans, even if they do not have a specific injury.

Symptoms

Unlike other typical muscle strains or injuries, people with myositis ossificans may notice that their pain worsens with time instead of getting better.

Someone with this condition may also notice changes in the affected muscle, including:

warmth

swelling

a lump or bump

decreased range of motion

Diagnosis

An MRI may help diagnose myositis ossificans.

Before diagnosing myositis ossificans, a doctor will ask about what happened, how long ago it happened, the symptoms, and what steps a person has taken to manage the pain or injury.

If it has been at least 2–3 weeks since the pain or other symptoms started, the doctor may order some imaging tests to look for evidence of bone growth in the soft tissue.

The types of tests that the doctor may use include:

X-ray: It can be difficult to diagnose myositis ossificans in the early stages with just an X-ray. Most X-rays will not show up any abnormalities in the first 2–3 weeks following the injury but will show changes after 3–4 weeks.

Ultrasound: Ultrasounds use sound waves to look at the soft tissues. They are one early diagnostic test that can be used to look for the changes associated with myositis ossificans. Ultrasonography depends on the ability of the person reading the scans, so many doctors do not often recommend it as the first test.

Computed tomography (CT) scan: Doctors can usually see the early development of bone tissue in soft tissues. However, it is not 100 percent reliable, and if a doctor suspects that someone has myositis ossificans, they may carry out additional testing to make the diagnosis.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI is a preferred method of looking at soft tissue growths. A doctor may still order additional tests to compare and confirm a diagnosis.

A biopsy of the growth may also be taken and evaluated in a lab.

Sometimes, early diagnostic testing can confuse myositis ossificans with certain types of soft tissue cancers. As a result, the doctor may order additional testing to confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment

Myositis ossificans usually resolves on its own. Taking pain relievers, such as naproxen or ibuprofen, can help relieve discomfort.

Other things that a person can do at home include:

resting the area

icing the injury

elevating the affected area

gentle stretching

wrapping the affected muscle with an elastic bandage to reduce swelling

After the first 48 to 72 hours, a person can start physical therapy to build up strength in the muscle.

Therapy should start with an assisted range of motion exercises — this involves moving the joints slowly and gently in all directions to see how far they will go — and gradually progressing into full dynamic exercise as the muscle regains strength.

If pain relievers, physical therapy, and other home care measures are not effective in treating myositis ossificans, surgical removal of the growth may be needed.

2018 Healthline Media UK Ltd. All rights reserved. MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.